31 December 2011

Happy New Year to you all. It's been a great year and a lot of that is thanks to you. I've made some friends and had a lot of fun. Thank you sincerely.

May the new year bring you health and happiness and may the Stupid Party find a way out of the darkness and into the light of true freedom. I really want obama to be a one termer who fades into history.

30 December 2011

Now a lot of you are real cooks, bakers and essentially professional level chefs. I'm just a guy who burns dead things over fire. But I do occasionally get it just right so I'm throwing this out there for any backyard BBQ aficionado. Sorry, no pictures. It vanished like smoke on a windy day. I have a gas grill but this technique will work with a charcoal one. Instead of turning off burners just make sure you have space on the grill that's away from the direct heat and have a means to cover it.

Mesquite Tri Tip

I bought 2 largish tri tips from Costco. I like them in the 1.5 to 2 pound range. Any bigger and you risk having a tough piece of meat. I actually like Costco's meat department because you can get some pretty fresh beef from them. Tri Tip is best done with as fresh as you can get.

I use a sweet Mesquite rub. I prefer rubs over marinades just because I've had better luck using them. Again, I bought the Kirkland brand and it's very good. Nice smell, good taste without being overpowering and excellent as a rub. I use Worcestershire sauce as the base for the rub and add the mesquite to taste. Rub the tri tip a few hours before cooking and let it set in the fridge. I make enough rub for the initial seasoning with enough left over for one basting and some to add in when I let the meat rest.

Set the BBQ for a medium heat and let it get all the way hot. Put on the meat and let it sear on both sides. After it's nice and brown go ahead and baste with about half of the remaining rub. My grill is three burners so I turn off the center burner and turn the other two up just enough to keep the heat at medium. Put the meat over the dead burner and let it cook indirectly for about 45 minutes. Watch the meat and don't let the exterior burn. If it's starting to blacken either turn down the heat a smidge or move the meat/coals further away.

When the active cooking is done I wrap the meat in foil and add in the rest of the rub. Seal them well. Turn off all the burners except one and set it on it's lowest setting and put the meat back on the grill, away from the burner. It's really letting the meat rest and essentially allows it to finish cooking the rest of the way with it's internal heat. You can also put the foil wrapped meat in a cooler but the grill technique works better for me.

The Tri Tip comes out tender and juicy. It's really easy to overcook Tri Tip and end up with a very dry meat. Frankly, I've ruined a lot of meat by overcooking which is even easier to do on a grill. Keep it in the foil until you're ready to eat then unwrap, slice and serve immediately. I made it tonight for a get together and it was a big hit, even with The Boy who's not a big steak eater. It disappeared with alacrity. Lu made a mess of her wonderful stir fried New Potatoes and we served it with steak rolls and a cold beverage. There are no leftovers.

I love to BBQ but the learning curve is steep while I'm a bit slow. I've been burning meat over fire for years but only now getting to the point where I don't have to make excuses for why it's under/over done.

28 December 2011

Recently Brigid blew out a knee and just had surgery. My thoughts and prayers go out to her but I wanted to show my support in a more tangible way. She's too far away for me to bring over a dish or take Barkley for a walk so I'm left with morale support.

I'm so sorry you got injured Brigid and I know you've been under the knife a time or two before this but I wanted you to know.

I feel your pain.

Cool pants eh? That picture was taken in May, 2006 right after my surgery for a completely blown Achilles tendon. My toes were swollen up like 10 little Vienna sausages. My hands developed massive callouses from the crutches. It took me 5 months to get released to light duty and a year before I went back to patrol. More pics here.
Hang in there Brigid. Let your friends and loved ones help. Do your rehab and everything the nice doctor says. And remember;

In a couple of days we will celebrate the birth of Christ. Christmas day. We'll open brightly wrapped packages, eat til we're stuffed, sing some carols and enjoy friends and family. As we should. As is right and proper. The chance to enjoy this holiday in the warmth and comfort of our homes has been bought and paid for by men and women who will never again feel the embrace of loved ones nor see the joy in their childrens faces upon opening a particularly precious gift. Brought to us by men and women who will spend yet another Christmas away from hearth and home so that we, their beloved countrymen, might have this day in peace. They will ever be in our hearts.

To all those we have lost. How we do miss you. For all those who are still serving, so far from your loved ones. We love you more than we can say. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Thank you for allowing me to have those I love best near to enjoy our holiday in peace and comfort. Thank you for keeping the faith.

From my family to you and yours may you have a Merry Christmas. We pray that you will find your homes again safely in the new year. May God bless each and every one of you and may we never forget.

18 December 2011

This is a special Kipling dedicated to a special lady. Our Chrisi girl is 15 years old today. Chrisi came home almost a year to the day after we got Trooper. Her full name is Lu's Chrisimas Surprise because of her birthdate and because I took a chance and bought her from our breeder without Lu knowing. She was always The Princess. She loved to run and retrieve and play with her big brother. She's been a near perfect companion for Lu, accompanying her on long trips and protecting her from unseen dangers. Now she's a big sister, passing on her patience and good manners to her little brother (who adores her). She no longer runs and frolics but she still goes for walks and rides. With still bright eyes and a wagging tail she'll always be our Princess. 15 years go by so fast. It seems like a lot but we're hoping for still more time with her. Greedy I know but she's our Chrisi girl. She's old and grey now but every once in a while, usually when it's least expected, the puppy in her will come out for just a bit and we smile and reminisce and appreciate her all the more

We love you Chrisi. Thank you for your companionship, your protection and your love. No one ever had a better dog. Happy birthday Sweetheart.

Here's a Kipling just for Chrisi. I hope I can be forgiven if I've changed it just a bit. :)

The Cat That Walked by Himself
Kitty can sit by the fire and sing,
Kitty can climb a tree,
Or play with a silly old cork and string
To 'muse herself, not me.
But I like Chrisi my dog, because
She knows how to behave;
So, Chrisi's the same as the First Friend was,
And I am the Man in the Cave!

Kitty will play Man-Friday till
It's time to wet her paw
And make her walk on the window-sill
(For the footprint Crusoe saw);
Then she fluffles her tail and mews,
And scratches and won't attend.
But Chrisi will play whatever I choose,
And she is my true First Friend!

Kitty will rub my knees with her head
Pretending she loves me hard;
But the very minute I go to my bed
Kitty runs out in the yard,
And there she stays till the morning-light;
So I know it is only pretend;
But Chrisi, she snores at my feet all night,
And she is my Firstest Friend!

17 December 2011

I'm working on a post but my muse is goofing off again. She's so lazy. Instead how about something cool and fun on a Saturday?
As you watch this bear in mind it's a simulation. A computer game. An awesome computer game complete with nomex racing gloves.
Six

12 December 2011

I'm sure you've all seen the news about the 9 year old who was initially suspended over calling a teacher cute (The administrator was later dismissed). Then there's the first grader being investigated for sexual harassment over punching another boy in the groin during a fight. There are many, many more such. A depressingly large number. It's as if every adult in the nation has forgotten what it's like to be a kid.

Here's a blast from the past I'm betting a lot of you remember. Glory Glory HallelujahTeacher Hit You With A RulerBlow Her Through The Door With A Loaded 44And She Ain't Gonna Teach No More
Come on. I can't be the only one out there that sung that as a child. There were more that my memory simply can't bring up any more but the point is that young boys do stuff like that. It's all about learning what it means to be a man, pushing our boundaries and doing risky things. Not once did I or anyone I ever knew actually blow a teacher through the door with a loaded 44. We didn't even consider it. But we could sing about it and tell each other lies about how cool we were and just be boys engaging in harmless behavior with that heady tang of risk and being an outlaw. I'm absolutely certain that the teachers heard that song and others just like it many times yet none of us were so much as sent to the principals office over it much less suspended and investigated and charged criminally. Common sense and a dose of 'they're just being boys' perhaps?

Cute? What guy didn't have a crush on a teacher? Perhaps it was one of your mom's friends or an older girl in the neighborhood or even a distant cousin who was the most beautiful creature ever created by a supreme being who clearly knew what a girl was supposed to look like. Asking a boy to exercise the virtues of an adult is insane. Besides what's wrong with appreciation and adolescent fantasy? It's all part of growing up. And don't talk to me about abuse. I experienced it first hand and it's got nothing to do with a boy who likes his teacher.

How about fighting? Any guys out there who got into a fistfight or two as boys? I did, many times. And yes, groin punching was a pretty routine tactic, accepted and even expected when small fists start to fly over matters of honor or self defense. I did get sent to the principal a few times over such but never got more than a stern warning to stop fighting at school. Or else. What else? I never found out because we respected the school administrators (and especially the Principal!) even though the stricture against fighting at school was routinely ignored or forgotten. because boys are boys and fighting with each other is as natural as breathing. I have a brother who is 15 months my senior. Close enough for us to be physically pretty equal but far enough for friction to develop and develop it did. Living in a house with 3 boys and a single mother who worked and went to college left us with a lot of hostility and a lot of time in which to exercise it. We had hundreds of fights. We spent one whole summer fighting nearly every day. And not the pushing, shoving kind of fighting but the knock down, drag out type I refer to as fist fighting. I had pretty much a permanent black eye for months. But neither of us turned into serial killers or criminals or anti-social monsters. Heck, I consider it as just good preparation for a later career where fighting with angry, drugged out, violent men was routine. I really need to thank my brother sometime for teaching me the value of a good scrap. Never trust a man who hasn't been in at least one good fight.

The value of risk has been driven home to me by my grandson, The Boy. I'm teaching him rock climbing. Even with my background and knowledge, when I see him scaling a sharp face or see him standing atop a conquered climb, just inches from a fall, my heart leaps into my throat and my first instinct is to order him away from the edge and to carry him down to where it's safe. My daughter shakes her head at me and watches with ill concealed pride. She knows. She understands that he must be allowed to experience risk. He must see that he can conquer his fears and overcome his limitations. He needs to have an outlet for his aggressive feelings. To deny him this is to deny him a chance at manhood. He may not be able to hear, he won't read and he can't think but he can see. He can experience first hand what it means to risk and win. He must be able to experience pain and failure if he is to learn to judge.

We are emasculating our boys, sacrificing them on the altar of political correctness. Willingly turning them over to those who hate them for their very maleness and kidding ourselves that they know better than we how our boys should be raised. A boy who is denied a chance to be a boy will grow up top be a frustrated man, unsure of who or even what he is. Mini bikes and BB guns and pulling the pig tails of that girl in second period that we like but don't quite know how to admit. Climbing hills and throwing rocks and getting dirty. Wrestling with the dog and getting into fights with the school bully. Scrapes and cuts and bruises and occasionally something worse but learning about life from them.

Suspended? Investigated? Shame on us all. Those boys should be celebrated for being what they are. Boys who will someday grow up to be men (God willing).

Make no mistake about it, we need men in our society. Men who dream big, build big and are ready to fight at the drop of a hat over the things that matter. Men who understand their power and have learned, through painful trial and error, how to contain and focus it. Men who have been allowed to experience the joys of budding puppy love and infatuation so they can recognize the real thing when it appears and be equipped to appreciate, value and protect the one they love.

We do our boys no favor by wrapping them in a blanket and protecting them from all of life's ups and downs. We're not protecting them at all, we're punishing them for being boys and setting them up for a life of frustration, depression and failure. We're not teaching that 9 year old to respect women, we're teaching him to distrust women. We're requiring him to grow up misogynistic. And we wonder at the divorce and domestic violence rate in this country. We're not teaching that first grader fairness, we're teaching him that it's better to be a victim than a survivor. Better to lose a fight and take a beating (or worse) than win at all costs. We're teaching them that being a boy is wrong and that they're somehow bad just for being what they are.

I am grateful for growing up the way I did. I love my scars, my wounds, my soaring triumphs and crashing defeats. They were honorably obtained and taught me that I like being a man. I'm rough and crude and I use bad language from time to time. I'm lumpy and hairy and sometimes smell of the sweat from honest toil and I don't care. I eat red meat and even kill it from time to time. I like guns and big trucks and dogs and motorcycles and fast cars. I love cop movies where the bad guy gets his in the end. I love my career choices. Being a soldier and a cop define me and I'm good with that. I love my wife, her softness and kindness and her womanly curves. I love how she smells and her gentle kisses. I love that she's a woman and allows me to be a man. I love my tools and making things with my hands. I love my daughter and my grandchildren and I'd do anything to protect them and see that they have the same opportunities in life that I had. If that makes me a bad person then so be it. I think that a man makes his own way to hell with those who desire nothing more than to see him fall and fail and disappear. I make no apologies for any of it.

And so I want The Boy to have the chance to grow up to be the man I know is buried in that small, sturdy body. I want him to be free to take risks, knowing that we'll be there to help him up, dust him off and send him on his way again. I want him to experience the first blushes of a crush without the fear that he'll be labeled a harasser of women and girls. I want him to fight for what's right and true and honorable without fear of arrest and ostracizing by a society that hates and fears him. I want him to play sports and learn to shoot and climb mountains and ride a motorcycle if those are his desire. I want him to be free to choose his own path, whatever that may be, without a hostile society imposing their will upon him.

He's my little man. My Boy. The one who copies me and watches me with wide eyes. What does it mean to be a man? In the end that's a question only he can answer however much I, his parents, his teachers and every busybody, nanny in the country want to influence him. Boys should be treated as apprentice men lest they never stop being little boys.

I fear that is what we've come to. A country run by alleged adults who either never grew up or who grew up hating what boys become when left to their own devices. For my part I'll emulate my daughter and remember what it was like to be a boy trying to become a man. I'll point him in the right direction and then step back to allow him to win or fall on his own. Lessons, advice, wisdom, the lore of the tribe, all these are his for the asking but the option to be the man he wants to be is his birthright and be damned to the very pits of Hell to those who would rob him of that.

11 December 2011

Man I'm late again today. Christmas is almost here. My son in law will be here soon to spend the holiday with us and we can't wait for him to arrive. In the meantime there's dinosaur footprints to see, puppies to play with and turkey stew bubbling on the stove. Mmmm, smells like family. Have a great Sunday my friends.
Six

The Four Angels"With the Night Mail"--Actions and Reactions

As Adam lay a-dreaming beneath the Apple Tree
The Angel of the Earth came down, and offered Earth in fee;
But Adam did not need it,
Nor the plough he would not speed it,
Singing: --"Earth and Water, Air and Fire,
What more can mortal man desire?"
(The Apple Tree's in bud)

As Adam lay a-dreaming beneath the Apple Tree
The Angel of the Waters offered all the Seas in fee;
But Adam would not take 'em,
Nor the ships he wouldn't make 'em,
Singing:--"Water, Earth and Air and Fire,
What more can mortal man desire? "
(The Apple Tree's in leaf.)

As Adam lay a-dreaming beneath the Apple Tree
The Angel of the Air he offered all the Air in fee;
But Adam did not crave it,
Nor the flight he wouldn't brave it,
Singing: --"Air and Water, Earth and Fire,
What more can mortal man desire?"
(The Apple Tree's in bloom.)

As Adam lay a-dreaming beneath the Apple Tree
The Angel of the Fire rose up and not a word said he;
But he wished a flame and made it,
And in Adam's heart he laid it,
Singing: --"Fire, Fire, burning Fire!
Stand up, and reach your heart's desire!"
(The Apple Blossom's set.)

As Adam was a-working outside of Eden-Wall,
He used the Earth, he used the Seas, he used the Air and all;
Till out of black disaster
He arose to be a master
Of Earth and Water, Air and Fire,
But never reached his heart's desire!
(The Apple Tree's cut down!)

10 December 2011

Let me say right up front that I am a bicyclist. Lu and I do ride on the roads of America. But we avoid narrow, well traveled streets and obey all rules of the road (though I did once give Lu and the DO a near coronary by bombing down a mountain road at breakneck speeds with them following in the truck..another story). Names have been omitted to protect the innocent.

Joan has a post up about those bicyclists who can't seem to act like reasonable people. You know, the ones you fantasize about sideswiping off the road and into the annals of the Darwin Awards. In that light I'll pass along this story to hopefully give you a little satisfaction that there really is justice in the world. Occasionally. I was also nearly punched out by a lawyer. There was spit and screaming and everything.

Back in the day when I rode a motorcycle for my daily bread I was also one of our accident reconstructionists. I was dispatched to and investigated complex accidents, including injury and fatals. On this occasion I was sent to an auto/bicycle crash where the bicyclist received significant but not life threatening injuries.

Here's the stage. There's a doc in the box located near our recreation trail. The parking lot is surrounded by a 6 foot wooden fence. The exit crosses a sidewalk that makes a bend so it runs parallel to the fence on the drivers right. The sidewalk run from the parking lot exit to the curve and fence was short (I can't recall the exact distance but it was short). A careful driver can see pedestrians with no problem. Anything faster? Not so much. The cross street is divided by a raised concrete median with a cutout. The recreation trail ends at the street, requiring that trail users cross a city owned wharf parking lot or use the cutout and the street to pick it up again.

The driver was leaving the clinic after a visit with the ships doctor masquerading as qualified medical professional (another sore spot for me. Don't ask). Witnesses state she came to a complete stop at the parking lot exit whereupon, not seeing any pedestrian traffic close enough to be a hazard, she moved forward and across the sidewalk to enter traffic.

Enter the bicyclist. He decided to leave the recreation trail path and travel down the sidewalk in order to cut off the extra 100 feet or so he'd have to travel to use the cutout and pick up the trail again. He promptly crashed into the side of the car and managed to injure himself and damage the car and his bicycle.

I got there and conducted my investigation, including a time/distance calculation that showed the bicyclist was traveling at considerably faster than a walking pace, fast enough that it would have been impossible for the driver to see him. I found the bicyclist at fault for riding on a sidewalk (against the law in California) and cited him. In the report I noted the blind spot created by the fence and curving sidewalk as well as the bicyclists speed and short sidewalk run as factors mitigating against the driver being able to see the cyclist as well as there being no reasonable expectation on the drivers part to be looking for a bicyclist riding down the sidewalk in the first place. Her responsibility was to check for immediate hazards and when none were present she was free to navigate freely.

Fast forward 3 years and the inevitable civil suit. I was deposed by the plaintiff's attorney and on the fateful day arrived at the appointed place at the appointed time. I should have known what was coming. When I got into the conference room where the deposition was to take place the defendant's attorney was sitting back in his chair with a shit eating grin on his face. Through the whole deposition he said exactly two words.

The plaintiff's attorney started out by getting my training, education and experience in the record. Then he went on the attack. You know those small dogs commonly referred to as ankle biters? The ones who bark furiously and growl and snap and generally threaten without biting until you get a hand just a little too close? Yeah, that was this lawyer to a T. We went back and forth for hours. He just couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that in an auto/bicycle accident the driver wasn't automatically at fault. I imagine the injuries suffered by the rider were enough that he was eyeing a fairly hefty fee for his services and as we continued he saw that settlement disappearing further and further into the distance. At one point he asked me if bicyclists were fair game. If a driver could just completely disregard cyclists and injure them out of hand. My answer sent him into spasms of apoplexy. In that moment I understood what a conniption fit looks like. I was actually concerned that he was going to have a stroke. I told him that as long as a bicyclist was in violation of the vehicle code, operating his conveyance in a place he shouldn't have, in a manner disregarding his own safety and the driver exercised due caution then what happened to the bicyclist was his own fault. He leaned across the table toward me, spittle flying from his lips, and screamed that it was now open season on bicyclists according to me and there would soon be blood in the streets, cats and dogs living together and generally the end of the western world as we know it. I really thought he was going to punch my lights out he was so angry. The defendants lawyer just sat there, a log, and watched the plaintiff's case going down in flames, a smile on his lips. I hated him for that but what you gonna do? Has to be the easiest case he ever took. The deposition wound down from there but that lawyer was obviously a defeated man. I was right and he was wrong and the fact that he couldn't rip me apart and make me recant my investigation and testimony deflated him like a pin popped balloon. You could actually see the dollar signs flying away from his eyes.

The defense attorney's response? The only two words he uttered through about 4 hours of questions, answers and bitter recriminations? "No questions".

I never heard the final outcome but I didn't receive a subpoena for trial so it's pretty certain that the case was settled. I hated that the bicyclist was injured but the bottom line here is the the rules of the road apply equally. If you ride on the road your health and safety is your responsibility. Knowing and obeying the statutes regulating cars and bicycles isn't just a good idea it's essential to remaining a breathing, uninjured person.

But yeah, winning an argument with a lawyer so thoroughly that he nearly smacked me in the snot locker was one of the highlights of my career. It was a good day.

08 December 2011

The last item to be completed on the pirate ship is now done. You'll recall that I painted it Ace Pirate Ship Brown but I didn't do any decoration. That was waiting for 2 small hands and large imaginations. And it needed a name. Behold the USS Ghost Pirate.

Why Ghost Pirate? Because she's 7 and he's 5 and that's just the way they roll. That is a picture of the ship's namesake below the name. He looks pretty darn ghosty piratey to me but then I may just be a bit prejudiced.

Here's Little Bit proving she can both paint and spell. She did the bulk of the work while The Boy hung out and 'supervised'.

Small hands, some poster paint﻿, a small paint brush and a big heart can work wonders.

The ships wheel. It was a lazy susan Lu found but it's now been turned into the mechanism to move worlds.

A pirate ship moves on water. When none is at hand then some must be provided.

Little Bit graciously gave the back side of the ship to The Boy. It's clams, starfish and way down at the bottom a treasure chest.

The kids decided to honor the builders by inscribing our names on the ship. Grandpa got the prime spot which put a smile on my face I'll never lose.

If you look just behind the swing you can see a cannon complete with cannon ball and lit fuse. I even hung Christmas lights on it.

Touched by angels it is now complete. A child's play area is not done until those it is meant for have christened it. When I look at it now I no longer view it as a blank canvas waiting for the master to create a work of art. It is whole, warm and inviting. It says "Here there be children". No captain ever had a finer vessel. No Papa ever had finer grandchildren. If what we create is a mirror of our souls then I am content. I made 2 small children happy. I better epitaph I cannot imagine.

06 December 2011

Times are tough but we still have responsibilities and that includes our canine companions. Veterinary medical help is usually very reasonable and most vets will work with you on health care and medications for your beloved dog but what if even that's too much or not available? Here's a list of human meds that are safe and effective for dogs in times of trouble. It's a good list but not comprehensive. I've researched the list as best I can but I recommend you consult your vet before using them. He/she might have better info than I do about cheaper and more effective treatments. I've used some but not all of those listed on Trooper and/or Chrisi with good results. If you have other info please chime in.
Snivel words. I am not a veterinary doctor nor do I play one on TV. I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. I'm just a dog owner and a prepper with internet access. Do your homework.
Six

04 December 2011

It's Sunday and it's a great day to be alive my friends. Kiss the one you love best. Say a prayer for our service men and women deployed in harms way. Be glad for your pain because it's that which reminds us of what it means to be human and free.
Six

01 December 2011

With the DO and the kids here my blogging has been light. That'll probably be the case for a while, we don't get to see them too often so that's where most of my focus is right now. One of the things we've been doing a lot of is hiking. It's educational plus both the kids and Angus get the exercise they need. Ok, me too. We've got a lot of trails and jeep roads in this area so the chances for adventure are high. There's plenty to see and we've even started some rock climbing classes. Little Bit enjoys the climbing but The Boy is a natural. He and Angus have already formed quite a bond. A boy and his dog, a dog and his boy.

Speaking of Angus. Isn't he a handsome boy? He's growing and maturing.

But he's still a puppy. He loves to run and these hikes are pure joy for him. He gets to wander and run and smell and just be free. That is one happy dog.

What's been amazing is Chrisi. She went into a deep depression after we lost Trooper. So bad we thought we were going to lose her. Then we brought in a certain small dog into her life. Her interest in life has returned and she's a changed dog. At 15 years old. Now every morning she comes to me and asks where we're going and can we go right now pleasepleaseplease?? It's been wonderful to see the change in her. She can't go fast but by golly she goes.

The areas where we hike is pretty rugged country. It's high desert and absolutely beautiful.

One of our favorite trails is Jem Trail. It runs through what was once a shallow sea. There are shale beds everywhere, prime fossil hunting territory. We're planning a picnic here so we can spend the time to thoroughly explore and look for remnants of ages past.

The intrepid safari leader.

Me, the DO and the lead dog. No one gets ahead of Angus.

Hopefully, now that we've had time to spend together, I'll be back to posting regularly but no promises. There's trails to hike, dogs to run and train and adventures to be had.

I think I see a nice rock face that's never been climbed by man, dog or child before. Just begging to be explored.